Product Description

Härnevi church is a fifteenth-century church in Uppland, Sweden containing frescoes which date to the early 1480s. The frescoes were made by Albertus Pictor (Albert the Painter, c. 1440 – c. 1507) and depict biblical figures and scenes. Albertus Pictor and his associates painted the walls and ceilings of over thirty churches throughout Sweden. This angel playing triangle is found within a Coronation scene, surrounding the Virgin Mary with several other angels playing musical instruments.

The Härnevi triangle is inspired by the church frescoes. It is made of brass and has a white patina finish, in varying shades, which has been distressed to match the fresco. The instrument is extremely large, measuring 17”h x 15”w x 5/8”d. It has been hand-hammered and hand-shaped. The decorative handle has been modeled after the Härnevi fresco and other methods of suspension found in iconographic images of the time-period. The beater is 24” long and is hand-hammered. The beater depicted in the fresco is uniquely large relative to the triangle and to the human-like angel.

Each triangle comes with:

a FREE “floating wall-mount” print of the iconographic subject that has been printed onto a 12” x 12” or 11” x 9” piece of rigid aluminum.

Iconography is the primary source for our knowledge of the history of the triangle, and provides insight into the musical and social context in which the instrument developed. The history of the triangle is a bit different from the history of other musical instruments. For example, looking at the history of the violin we know of master builders and craftsman. Antonio Stradivari has long been known for creating the finest violins ever made. The workmanship and sound of his instruments are unparalleled to this day. Conversely, the triangle has taken a different path through history. There is no known triangle craftsman with a similar reputation as Stradivari. There is no archetypal instrument from centuries past acknowledged as the world’s finest. There does not exist a quintessential “baroque triangle” or “renaissance triangle”. We do not have an exemplary “triangle of Mozart’s day”. Rather, what we DO have, is extraordinary, beautiful VARIETY—variety in size, shape, dimension, proportion, level of craftsmanship, and ornamentation, as seen in iconography. It is this variety that has inspired me to create these instruments.

I have chosen several pieces of triangle iconography that I found inspiring, and set about the process of bringing them to life. The instruments have been made by hand, one at a time, and have all been hand-hammered, hand-bent, and hand-finished. I have paid close attention to the size of the triangle as seen in the image, relative to what or who is around it.

My hope is that the uniqueness of the instruments’ look will inspire others as it has inspired me.